It’s perfect for my job, it makes me even more creative

Running her own craft business from a contemporary garden studio, Francoise Read is able to look out onto her large garden and be inspired by her natural surroundings.

“You are more or less sitting in the garden – you’ve got the sun coming in, all the light, it’s really airy, it’s perfect for my job, it makes me even more creative than I am already,” she says.

Four years ago, Francoise decided that using the kitchen table to design her products for card and scrapbook making was just no longer practical and she needed a stand-alone space. “I’d have to push everything aside when we wanted to have breakfast,” she laughs.

A garden building was an obvious choice and she, and her husband Paul, visited Norwegian Log’s showroom in Reading. The Reads chose a 7.5 x 4 metre garden room, the largest model under 30 square metres, so not requiring building regulations or planning permission.

“We also chose this model because it fits with the type of house we have got – it’s modern, it’s open, it fits every sort of criteria we were looking for,” says Paul. “We were so impressed with the building team themselves, right from design to coming down and reviewing our requirements. Most importantly, the actual construction of it, I was so impressed with how it was done. I have to say the workmanship was really good.”

The log studio boasts a full wall of double glazed bi-fold doors and is kitted out with a large craft table, shelving, TV, music system and a comfortable swivel chair. “It inspires me when I work in it,” says Francoise. “I can either sit in my chair and draw, or work from the table. I like having the doors fully open from late spring. The building also has air conditioning so if it’s really hot outside I can close the doors and work in comfort. I’ve even had blinds fitted which I can draw if I want to at night.”

“It’s somewhere for me to get away, to be in my own zone. I absolutely love it and it’s been a brilliant addition to the house,” she adds.

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It's warm and it's cosy; it's solid and it's quiet. The fragrance of pine reminds you of Scandinavian forests and summer evenings. Your imagination starts to take you places. You imagine a wood burner, perhaps a desk or why not just some space to think?

Our show home is 31 years old, yet customers still say it looks and feels brand new. That's the quality of our workmanship and the materials. When you step into a Norwegian Log building you're stepping into a feeling and just like our buildings it's one that will last.